Something Fishy -- Bye, bye 7 months??

[Meliechick]

KyleRayner. Might see your there. DH and I will be at SSR 12/4-12/11. We are also trying to make the rounds to stay at all of the DVC resorts. Not a DVC resort but we are staying at the Grand Californian in January 2006.

 

[KyleRayner]

Meliechick, Are you going to the Merry Member Mixer?

 

[Sammie]

Research will show that park attendance is lower between Thanksgiving and the first of December is slower than other times. This does not however reflect hotel occupany and certainly does not reflect DVC occupancy. Early December has become such a busy time that Member Services even records a message saying that due to Members booking holiday vacations, hold times will be longer.

Also this is Mousefest and Pop Warner and while the kids at Pop Warner might be at All Star some of the parents and grandparents are DVC members.

 

[Dean]

This scenario will become more and more common as SSR sells out and the members there have had a couple of visits under their belt. We should reach a status quo around about 2012-1014 assuming no new resorts. CR would not change the mix that much but EP would in a negative direction. Still if one is happy with their home resort, plans ahead and uses the 7 month window appropriately; it will not be difficult to try other resorts routinely. Exceptions will be BWV (standard and BWV), GV (BWV & OKW esp), BCV dedicated 2Q 2 BR, VB beach houses & HH summer. BCV and VWL will be a little tougher due to their small size. Still anyone who bought one resort with the idea of staying at another will likely be disappointed routinely for BCV, VWL and BWV depending in part on time of year and reservation approach.

 

[keishashadow]

I know from my research that the time between Thansksgiving and Christmas is supposed to be low season. 7 months in advance to the day I booked for our trip next week. I was told that EVERYTHING was completely sold out except Saratoga. Got on wait list and made no difference.

In years past, never had a problem getting rooms at Boardwalk.

Anyone know if Disney eliminating non home resort inventory and forcing everyone to Saratoga b/c they want it to be the primary DVC resort?

Sounds fishy to me.

Thanks.

When we finally got into the system (just 2 weeks past the 7 months mark for the week in question); nothing was available for Sat thru Wed.

We switched gears to the next week...all that was available in Studios was Sarasota & BWV Pref. (we waitlisted & got BWV Stand, then VWL came though). Didn't expect it, but sure glad it happened.

I've taken the advice posted herein and have booked 2 subsequent trips, day-by-day @ 11 month mark - I'm not the type to take chances with our WDW vacations..

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The DVC point charts are the real cause.

DVC based the point charts for the DVC resorts at WDW on historic seasonal attendance at WDW. The point charts were supposed to flatten out demand throughout the year through seasonal variations in the point structure. For the most part, the seasonal point structure works well.

However, based on my own experience and what I see posted on this board, the demand for fall reservations -- both during the Food & Wine Festival and between Thanksgiving and Christmas -- is disproportionately high. Fall is a great time for DVC members to use their points at WDW because the point requirements are low, while the appeal of the activities at WDW is very high.

It will only become harder to get fall reservations at DVC resorts as more and more longtime DVC members become empty nesters. When the school calendar is no longer a factor, a fall vacation at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival sounds much better than dealing with the summer heat and crowds -- with the added bonus that a fall vacation can be longer than a summer vacation with the same number of points.

DVC Management has the right to adjust the point charts. However, the only time this was ever done (a minor adjustment to the chart for OKW), there was an angry outcry from members. So, unless things get really out of whack, DVC Management is unlikely to adjust point charts again.

 

[jctwizzer]

I know from my research that the time between Thansksgiving and Christmas is supposed to be low season.

Something's fishy alright. It's your research. Anyone who has concluded that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a low season has been looking at specious sources. As MVMCP has become increasingly popular the crowds have grown. Add in Pop Warner players and cheerleaders, and on site occupancy rates soar during that period. It may be trendy to blame DVC for every apparent problem, but it ain't necessarily so.

 

[SSR-CM]

1) Buy where you want to stay.
2) Some people say it doesn't matter.
3) Guess what - IT DOES !
4) Even the 11-month window might not be enouigh. *
. . . there are several unpopular weeks
. . . those people have to go sometime
. . . thus, there will be more demand for rooms available in some weeks


* Unfortunately, one of the biggest avantages to DVC is one of the biggest downfalls. There could easily be more people wanting a particular week than space available - even at the 1-month window. In such a case, someone will not set their desired week.

 

[fishermouse]

Seems to me DVC bases thier seasons on park attendance the same as the hotels. On the other hand they have done a very good job of promoting the "off" seasons. ie: wine and food fest,, flower show, you don't see merry mixers in the busy season. If it's good for Disney ( more guests) it's bad for DVCers ( more guests). I don't see a conspiricy here just sound bussiness practices. Lucky for me I enjoy where I bought, SSR. I do like to move around but plan some trips in the real off season. The only time I was not unable to get anything at all was this past summer. Could not get a room three days out. Had a trip planned for Cancun when it was hit by Emily. I think it was Emily so many this year whoi can keep track. When all else fails just take what you can get it's all Disney..

 

[Tinkerbell79]

Attorneywolfe - I was a manager at the DVC resorts for 2 years and have just recently relocated to tell you the truth it has always been hard to get into any DVC during that time of year. You could have gotten lucky in years past and that was why you got in. Actually I know for a fact that Boardwalk books for their home resort 10 months in advance and those members get in quick during that time of year they have special invetory for guests and DVC members. A spot will open I promise you that you just have to call every day until it does. Otherwise at the last minute they will open more rooms to DVC or guests if one side or the other isn't filled. I have friends who still work at Boardwalk I can find out what is going on for sure if you like. Also another thing is most of the time we over book then 10% cancel and we are good with not being overbooked again. But sometimes we have to walk people and that could get ugly. Let me know if you need more of the inside scoop!!!

 

[newarknut]

What do you think my chances are of booking BCV with my VWL points for a mid-August trip? The points are a little high, but I don't have enough BCV points to do it now. Should I book VWL now and try for BCV at 7 months, or just wait?

Thanks!

 

[LakeAriel]

What do you think my chances are of booking BCV with my VWL points for a mid-August trip? The points are a little high, but I don't have enough BCV points to do it now. Should I book VWL now and try for BCV at 7 months, or just wait?

Thanks!

I would grab your home resort just in case but am anxious to hear how lucky people think you'll be....

 

[PamOKW]

It doesn't always work but the waitlist often comes through. People make plans and book during their home resort period. At the 7 month mark, there's no reason for them to magically call and cancel those plans. As they get closer to the vacation, things happen -- wedding invitations arrive, the boss says you've got to go to a meeting, someone in the family is sick -- that's when the waitlist kicks in and you end up getting the opening you were hoping for. The 30-day mark is also more likely to see openings as people cancel before points go into holding. As with many things in life, timing can be everything.

 

[childsplay]

What do you think my chances are of booking BCV with my VWL points for a mid-August trip?

Nothing is for sure, but I would guess that your chances would be pretty good, provided you call at the 7 month window. What does "pretty good" mean you ask...60/40 in your favor...maybe a bit higher
As an example, we had banked points from several resorts that needed to be combined for our June trip this coming year and i called at the 7 month mark and had my pick at BCV, in fact I actually booked a 2 BR with 2 Queens only to cancell it the following day and change to a 1 BR (you know..the old "we're going for sure, we're going for sure...sorry we're not going to be able to make it after all" trick). I then booked a 1 BR at HH for the following week at the 7month mark, again using banked points from several resorts, and i believe there are only 22 1Br at HH so I was rather surprised at that one, thought for sure we would have to get a 2 br.
So I would think that your chances would be good...but you never know.

 

[gjw007]

It also matters what you are looking for. I was looking for a 1-bedroom at VWL in late July for Dec 17 to 23. It is slightly higher, points wise, than the two weeks prior. I was told there were no studios and 2-bedroom units available but there were 1-bedroom units available; just what I was looking for. I know that SSR came up but I think they said there were not studios available but I don't remember exactly as I was looking for VWL. Note my reservation was made at the 6-month point, so it certainly is still possible to make reservations within the 7-month window.

 

[robinb]

I've commented on the OP problem in another thread, but I think if you want to travel the first week if December then you really need to buy where you want to stay. The OP was on the waitlist from day 1 (for the whole time, not day by day) and he never came off of it . This is one of the reasons I bought a BWV resale ... so I can stay in a standard view over Christmas/New Year's Eve. Lately, my OKW contract has come in handy for a Grand Villa over the same time period. If I didn't own at either resort I wouldn't have a snowball's chance of getting what I wanted when I wanted it. My summer trips, however, are spent at BCV or VWL. I have very little problem booking outside my home resort over the summer.